I Didn't Know
by Dreaming-Of-A-Nightmare
Summary: Alternate scene from end of first anime; characterdeath; can be seen as brotherly love or Elricest if you wish. based off of Repo! The Genetic Opera song, 'I Didn't Know I'd Love You So Much.' .:. "Brother, I will not leave you here; you will live..."


**Non-repeat A/N: This idea came to me while listening to the Repo! The Genetic Opera song, "I Didn't Know I'd Love You So Much" for, like, the hundredth time. Now, seeing as how the song from the movie is actually sung between a daughter and her father, this technically can be taken as non-Elricest, as opposed to my following rant. So yeah, view it how you will; I just thought it was a cute alternative to the first anime series finale. ;D**

**The song can be heard/scene from the movie can be seen here (please remove spaces): **http:/ / www. youtube. com/watch?v=HblohcApENw

**Repeat A/N: I recently fell into a rather odd pairing-obsession-phase: Elricest. I know, it's kinda gross and strange to some, but you can't deny that it's at least a little bit possible in the first anime series!**

**And you know what? I've come to a decision: **

**When it comes to pairings of FICTIONAL CHARACTERS, I no longer care if it's incest or yaoi or yuri or not. So long as the two characters work well together, look cute together, and can be easily written for/inspiration, I'm okay with the ship. But in real life with real people? Yaoi and yuri are fine, but I still think incest is gross, considering that I have siblings myself and way too many inbred children (poor souls) and family-rapes occur. So yeah. Fictional? Fine! Real? Not okay. Haha.**

**I know I'm mental (and like to rant a lot). Leave me alone~ X'D**

**Note: **_Italics in speech _**are the **_actual lyrics_ **of the song, but **normal text** in the story are my own inserts/edits to the song. Okay? :D  


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"Brother!" Al screamed, his voice echoing throughout the ballroom and resounding inside of his suit of armor. He felt helpless and frightened and filled with grief, a horrible concoction of emotion that sank his soul and made him feel weighed down, as if his armor were full of lead instead of a light spirit.

The younger brother watched as blood stained the floor and spread out in all directions. He could almost feel The Gate stealing his brother's soul away bit by bit.

Forcing himself to move, not caring if he were breaking the process of the Philosopher's Stone, Alphonse Elric dragged himself to his older brother's side and leaned over, propping himself up on one arm.

"Brother…?" he murmured, unsure. Was Ed still in there? He was losing so much blood… so much, like when they were children and Edward had lost his arm and leg.

"Al…" Ed attempted, his eyes dimming from gold to wheat, blood lingering at the corners of his paling mouth.

"Ed, _be still. There is nothing you need say; it can wait…_" Al began. He touched the side of his brother's face, helping hold his head up. He could feel the blond teen shaking, simply holding up his own head being strenuous.

"Al, our _mother's calling me…"_ Ed whispered, a small cough following the words. He reached up blindly with his human hand, as if trying to find something.

Al could feel himself shaking from the inside, his soul quivering with sorrow. If he could cry, he would be; in this moment, he knew that his brother's life was slipping away, and he wasn't sure what to do about it besides be here for him. He tried to soothe Ed's pain with a few sentiments. "_Sometimes I wanted to cry, when the people _I've seen_ were not quite the way we were; somehow, I guess I just knew… But I didn't know I love you so much; I didn't know I love you so much._" He gasped in between the phrases, repeating them brokenly. "_I didn't know I'd love you so much… but I do,"_ he admitted softly.

The Fullmetal Alchemist forced a small smile that didn't touch his eyes. "_Sometimes I'd stay up all night… wishing to God, that I was the one who died. And sometimes there's not enough… time…"_ He coughed again, blood gurgling in the back of his throat. He squeezed his eyes shut for a moment before opening them again, slowly. He looked at his younger sibling, staring seemingly directly into the armor at his brother's soul. "_But I didn't know I love you so much; didn't know I love you so much."_ He rasped, choking out his own confession:_ "I didn't know I'd love you so much… but I do."_

Al stroked his older sibling's cheek gently, his leather-gloved hands barely grazing the skin. "_I didn't know I'd love you so much…"_

"_Didn't know I love you so much."_

They said together, "_I didn't know I love you so much, but I do."_

Edward shuddered and spasmed lightly on the floor. Al jerked back in surprise. Immediately after the shock, he partially lifted his brother into his cold metal arms. "Brother!"

"Alphonse, _go…"_

"Brother, _I will not leave you here; you will live,"_ he answered desperately.

Ed smiled vaguely again. _"But you've already saved me, _Al._ Now, go and _finish the Stone _for me…_"

And with an inward, sad smile, Al said with his brother, "_And we will always have each other in our time of need."_

"Brother –"

"Alphonse –"

" – _You're the world to me,"_ the finished together, but with these words, Edward Eric took his final breath.

Al could feel him collapse in his arms, the blond's weight growing limp and heavy as the older alchemist lost control and use of his limbs. The younger Elric brother watched with a pain stabbing at the heart of his soul as the light in Edward's eyes faded, and his pupils dilated into milky, dead, unseeing eyes.

It was then that Alphonse yelled in anger and loss, his soul aching with a pain he hadn't felt since their –_ his_ – mother died.

His thought process sped up, ideas forming: Should he complete the crimson Stone and use it to bring his brother back? What might the consequences of that be? And what about the remaining Homunculi? It's like Ed said: sometimes there's not enough time, especially not to think; perhaps there's only enough time to act.

And so, with careful steps, Al returned to his place on the transmutation circle and shut his proverbial eyes, preparing for the worst, but praying silently for the best.


End file.
